Want Good E-learning Translations, Quickly, at Low Cost? Here’s How You Can

How can you get good translations of your e-learning courses? What does it take to render your online learning content into the desired language(s), rapidly, with minimum expenditure? Well, you need to follow a robust process. Let us see what it is.

Step 1: Get the e-learning content translated

You need to focus on the following aspects to produce high quality translations of your online learning content.

Choose the right translator: This is the most important step in the translation of your technology-enabled courses. You need to use the services of an efficient translator who has considerable experience in translating online courses for organizations in your industry. To know more about selecting the right translator, check out the informative post 6 Questions to Zero in on the Right E-learning Translator.

Create the “English” template and send it to the translator: Once the English version of the course is developed, prepare a template which contains the text of the course and send it to the translator.

Use computer-aided tools to translate the text: You need to see the translator uses computer-aided translation (CAT) tools to translate the e-learning content. CAT software come with built-in memory tools that help ensure consistency in the translation and go a long way in reducing costs.

Follow a proven QA process to ensure high quality: You need to make sure you have a well-set quality process in place at each stage – at the translator’s end where he can go through his work and check for errors and another at the lead translator’s end who checks the work of the translator and suggests changes if needed.

Collect the translated templates: It is now time to collect the translated templates from the translation agency. Make sure you get all files in proper formats.

Step 2: Proofread the translated content

You now need to get the translated e-learning content proofread. Here are a few best practices of proofreading the translated online course.

See the content is reviewed by the stakeholder’s in-country reviewer: It is now time to get the translated content reviewed by the proofreader at the stakeholder’s end. The proofreader may accept the translated content or may suggest some changes. In case of the latter, you need to implement the changes and send the revised draft of the translated content to the proofreader for his approval. This cycle would continue till the proofreader approves the translated content.

Send voice samples to the stakeholder to select the narrator: Once the translated content is approved, you need to send samples of various narrators’ work to the stakeholder. The stakeholder examines the samples and selects the person who would narrate the course.

Draw schedules for recording the audio narration: You now need to prepare a schedule for recording the narration of the online course and finalize it.

Step 3: Record the audio and develop the translated online course

You now need to record the narration of the online course and synchronize it with the translated learning content to develop the online course in the target language. Given below are a few tips to perform this step without errors.

Develop the audio script and send it for recording: Prepare the audio script in the target language and send it to the narrator. It is advisable to include “pronunciation notes” to ensure narration of a high quality. Check out the post 5 Tips for Efficient Translation of Narration of Online Courses to know more about translating audio scripts.

Make sure an internal linguist checks the recorded narration for quality: Once the narration is recorded, it is time to check its quality. It’s better to get the narration checked by an internal linguist to ensure it is devoid of errors.

Review the translated e-learning course for quality: Now, an internal team conducts a quality check on the translated online course to ensure it is error-free.

Step 4: Send the course to the stakeholder for his review and upload the course on the LMS

It is now time to get the translated course reviewed by the stakeholder and upload it onto an LMS. Here’s how you can complete this step smoothly.

Release the translated course to the stakeholder for review: You need to send the translated course to the stakeholder, who will get it reviewed by a proofreader. The proofreader may approve the course or suggest some changes.

Update the translated course: After receiving the feedback from the proofreader, you need to make changes to the course as desired by him.

Send the updated version of the translated course for approval: You now need to send the updated course to the proofreader for his approval. He may approve the course or suggest further changes. In case of the latter, you need to incorporate them and send it for his approval. This cycle would continue till the course is approved.